Blood Promise: Awakened
by JaceLover01
Summary: Rose sets out to kill the one man she truly loves...but will it prove as simple as she thinks when she finally comes face to face with him? And who will be there to save her this time around when she can't hold on any longer? DxR
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone! So this is my first fic for Vampire Academy that I've ever written. I'm much too anxious for Blood Promise (the real one) to await its release, so I figured I'd write one myself!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own VA. I wish I owned Dimitri.... but I don't. Lucky Richelle Mead does.**

_**Chapter One**_

When I had first left St. Vladimir's Academy a little over a week ago, I didn't know it would be so strange being on my own. At first I had thought it was just because I was away from everything that had been familiar to me; Lissa, the safety of the school itself, others that I could relate to. But then I realized that it was because I was lonely. More so than was possible to put into words. I didn't have my best friend with me like I did when we had run away to Portland, and I also didn't have Mason to guide me anymore, even though I'd already come to terms that it was time for him to rest. He'd done his job. He deserved to find peace.

So, here I was, sitting in the terminal at JFK airport in New York, waiting for my flight to board. I had already taken two flights to get here: Seattle to Indianapolis, and then on to the Big Apple.

After leaving the academy, I had taken a cab to Missoula, to the bank that Adrien had instructed me to go to so that I could get the money I needed in the account he'd put it into for me. And when I say money, I mean a _lot_ of money. Over thirty grand. I knew that would be more than sufficient to get me through this mission that I had assigned myself.

If I was lucky, this would take a month of so at most to complete, me coming away unscathed and Dimitri dead instead of being trapped as a Strigoi. But if I wasn't lucky…well, I didn't want to think about that right now. I had too much on my mind too much to get done.

At last, I heard my flight number being called to board and I got up, heading for the gate, my duffle bag already under the plane with the rest of the checked baggage. The woman at the gate regarded me warily but I pointedly ignored her. I didn't need criticism on top of everything else I was dealing with at the moment. And I was doing a pretty kick ass job at dealing with it, if I do say so myself. Which I do.

I tapped my foot impatiently until she finally handed my boarding pass back to me. I walked down the dimly-lit tunnel to where I could board the plane. Luckily, people ignored me as I made my way down the middle aisle towards where my seat was located. After sitting down, I stared out the window of the airplane. Thank God I got a window seat.

I hated thinking about what I would have to do at the end of this whole twisted, messed up thing. How could I kill him? How could I drive a stake through the heart of the only man I have ever and will ever love? He meant the world to me - I would die to save him. Which was probably what I would end up doing, but if I could give him redemption, it would be well worth it.

But I couldn't think of that right now. I couldn't allow myself to become distracted. I couldn't allow myself to hesitate. That would be a fatal mistake. After all, hesitating is what caused Dimitri to be turned into a strigoi in the first place. I had to keep focused and strong. I had to save his soul.

The plane took off from the runway ten minutes later and I sat back in my admittedly comfortable seat, preparing myself for the six hour flight that would take me away from New York, to my destination: Russia.

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When the plane landed in Moscow, my first thought was, _so it really isn't a desert wasteland after all. _My second thought was, _how the hell am I going to find him? This place is huge!_

I mean, come on. Russia is an entire country. It wasn't just one state like Washington or Montana. He could be anywhere!

But I knew where to start looking. Not looking for him, exactly, but for someone else. Someone who had the powers and drive to help me find my Dimitri.

So, after several long hours of asking around and requesting translations of the complicated language, I finally stood in front of my destination. I stood in the midst of a small commune that Dimitri had told me about on more than one occasion, particularly when my curiosity would get the better of me. It was where he had spent his childhood with his mother and two sisters.

Communities such as this one often got stereotyped as being full of blood whores. But that wasn't the case. Just because some women did that, didn't mean all dhampir women did. They didn't become guardians because they had to raise their children, and that, to me, was quite an accomplishment.

As I stood in front of one of the houses, holding a slip of paper in my hand with the address of the house written on it, I took a deep breath, trying to dig up the courage to actually go up and knock on the door.

But I didn't get the chance, because right then, the door opened and I was face to face with a person who had brown hair and dark eyes.

**Alright, so I know this first chapter isn't very long, but I needed to leave it with a cliffy....I love cliffies. Expect many in this story.**

**I hope you all liked it so far!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! I hope you liked the first chapter. But I need some more REVIEWS!! If you want any more after this chapter, then REVIEW.**

**Thank you to the two great people who did :)**

**Disclaimer: Don't own it.**

_**Chapter Two**_

It was a woman who seemed to be in her mid-forties. I could tell where Dimitri got his looks from. She looked at me with those dark, kind eyes, and I was reminded instantly of him.

"Can I help you, dear?" she asked me in a friendly voice with a thick Russian accent, one which was much heavier than Dimitri's.

I couldn't back out now. I tried to be calm but I unintentionally stammered. "A-are you Dimitri Belikov's mother?"

A look of sadness passed in the woman's eyes and she nodded in response. "Yes, I am."

I, too, felt the pain in speaking, as well as hearing from my own lips, his name, but I carried on saying, "I'm Rose Hathaway. I was Dimitri's -"

"Student. Yes, I've heard him speak of you. Why don't you come on inside and we can talk?" the woman asked me, obviously not too comfortable with discussing Dimitri so openly with people passing all around us.

I nodded in response and stepped into the house when she moved aside to let me in. The house was small but it had that homey feel about it. It was nice and comforting.

The woman directed me to sit on a chair at the table while she fixed a kettle of tea. "I'm sorry to show up unannounced, Mrs. Belikov," I told her, remember my manners.

"Call me Elena, please," she said with a warm smile. A smile that reminded me so much of her son.

I nodded and told her thank you as she set my cup of tea in front of me before she sat across from me. "So what brings you all the way to Russia, Roza?"

I winced. Only Dimitri had called me by my Russian name and it was painful for me to be called that by anyone who wasn't him.

However, Elena seemed to notice my discomfort about it, and her eyes turned sympathetic.

"I…well, as you must already know, I'm a guardian. And Dimitri…he told me once before that he would rather die than become a…become a strigoi." I could hear my voice trembling and I stopped there, waiting to gauge her reaction of my heavy words.

She seemed to know what I was talking about, thought, and her expression became even more saddened. "They told me that you saw him being bitten," she said quietly.

The rush of painful memories all came back to me at once. The memories I had tried so hard to push back and forget. "I don't want to do it. It's the last thing I want. But I have to. For him." I said, my voice shaking with emotion and I was surprised to notice that my eyes were suddenly brimming with tears.

Elena reached over and put her hand on mine. "I understand, Rose. It's what he would want. And I know he would want you to be the one to do it."

I nodded, surprised that she was taking this so calmly, but this was Dimitri's mother, after all.

"Is there any way I could speak to his grandmother?" I inquired quietly, hoping I hadn't come all this way for absolutely nothing. Talk about a major let down if that was the case.

Elena looked at me knowingly. "Dimka told you about her, yes?"

Dimka, as I had learned a long time ago, was a nickname for Dimitri. "Yes, he did," I said. "I think she could really help me find him…"

In answer, Elena stood up and grabbed a cordless phone, pressing the buttons so quick I couldn't even follow which numbers she was pushing. She brought the phone up to her ear and after a pause, she began speaking rapidly in Russian, glancing at me every couple minutes and I heard the word 'Roza' more than once.

Several minutes passed before she finally hung up. "My mother will be here soon to speak with you," she told me as she sat back down in her chair.

"Thank you," I said sincerely, hoping that talking to Dimitri's grandmother would solve at least a little of my situation. And Dimitri's.

The minutes seemed to pass by like hours, but finally, twenty minutes after Elena's phone call, someone walked into the house without even knocking first.

An old woman entered the kitchen after a few moments and I could instantly tell that she was a Belikov. She had deep brown eyes and gray hair, but I could tell it used to be brown. "Ah, Rose. I knew you would come." I was surprised she didn't call me 'Roza' like Elena had at first. Her accent, like Elena's, was heavy.

I was about to ask how she knew, but that was a stupid question. "Then you also know why I've come?" I asked.

Elena stood, murmuring something about giving us some privacy, and she walked from the room.

The old woman nodded as she sat down at the table, occupying Elena's now empty seat. "I do…it is grave business, what you are doing," she warned me.

Taking a deep breath, I nodded. "I know that."

After a long moment of silence, she said, "There's a way to save him, you know…"

**Remember, now, REVIEW! Otherwise, no more story. And we don't want that to happen, now do we? Anonymous reviews are enabled, so it doesn't matter if you have an account or not. Just leave me a nice little review. It can even be just a 'yay' or 'nay'.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! Thank you SO much for all the reviews!! It definitely makes me write faster, plus your imput on stuff really helped me out a lot with this chapter.**

**So, here's the next one as promised!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

**_Enjoy!_**

**Chapter three**

My eyes snapped up to look at her. Surprise and shock filtered through me, both moving at light speed. When the emotions passed, new ones too their place: fear and excitement. Sure, she said there was a way to save him, but what if it didn't work? But what if it did? Would he be back to normal again? A normal dhampir? God I hoped so, beyond everything else, I hoped and hoped.

"You are shadow-kissed, Rose. I know how to save him, but I must go do some research on the subject first. It will take at least a week…" the old woman said, her eyes, while seeming apologetic about how long it would take, staring strongly into my own.

I shifted in my seat, already able to feel the nerves and anxiety weighing down on me. A week? In a week another guardian could have already staked him and we wouldn't be able to save him, or he would have closed in on me before I could close in on him. I didn't like either one of those outcomes at all.

"But where is he?" I inquired, my brows knitting together with wonder and slight confusion.

The old woman looked at a loss for a moment before her eyes lit up with an idea. "Do you have anything that belonged to Dimka?" she asked me, but she obviously already knew the answer.

I nodded in response anyway and reached up around my neck, pulling a long, thin, silver chain over my head. There was a cross pendant that was made completely of silver. It also had a Russian inscription on the back, but I had no idea what it meant. I'd gotten the necklace from Dimitri's room in the guardian dorm building the morning I left. The headmistress, Kirova, had been told to let me choose something to keep since his capture had been so hard on me, and because I was his student. There had been books to choose from, his aftershave, any many other belongings, but I had found the necklace, and so I had chosen it. It seemed more personal…

I handed the necklace over to his grandmother and she smiled. "I got this for Dimka the day he graduated from the academy in Siberia. He graduated with honors… I was so proud of him. I still am."

I knew how she felt. I, too, was proud of him. He'd fought his hardest, but still, it wasn't enough when you hesitate. When you hesitate, you lose all hope of winning the battle. That's what he'd once told me, anyway.

"What does it say on the back?" I inquired, curiosity burning within me. I didn't know an ounce of Russian, but I wanted to learn - even though Dimitri had refused to learn me any swear words.

"It means 'warrior' in Russian," she responded, watching me and then looking at the necklace.

I nodded. It was so fitting for my Dimitri. He truly was a warrior. No matter what he was, what he was turned into, he would always be a warrior. "If you want it back…you can have it," I told her, even though I desperately needed it to hold onto. It gave me strength.

"No, Rose, you keep it until his return. I know what he meant to you," said his grandmother with kind eyes and a calm smile.

I felt a flush appear on my cheeks and thanked God she didn't elaborate on that subject. Talk about embarrassing. After all, Lissa was the only one who knew about my and Dimitri's relationship, and she had only just found it out the day I left the academy.

The old woman held the necklace between both hands and closed her eyes, obviously concentrating very hard. On what, I had no idea.

When she next opened her eyes, they were a pale blue - such a contrast to her normal dark brown ones. I knew instantly what she had done. She'd given up her sight for a moment to gain access to a different sense. Her psychic one.

"He is…he's in Europe. Oh, how…? But he is…he's in Berlin. Hiding out…waiting."

Her words shocked me. He was in Germany already? But how? And why Germany? I guessed he was just passing through on his way to…on his way to here. To Russia. But it wasn't as if he could just get on an airplane, I didn't think. But then again, Strigoi have super compulsion. Compulsion that even moroi didn't have. Except Lissa.

She was the strongest moroi I knew…well, the strongest I knew that specialized in the spirit element. Because her boyfriend, Christian, had some pretty badass fire skills. He was our little pyromaniac.

"Do you know his intentions?" I asked her, my eyes wide with surprise and intrigue.

"He is waiting to kill…he needs blood. He is so thirsty… he needs it badly. But he is alone. He years for company…he yearns for you. He misses you," she said, her voice coming out soft and almost zombie-like as she saw through her mind's eye.

My breath caught in my throat. Dimitri still wanted me? He still loved me even though he became something horrible? It was a good thing I was sitting down, otherwise I may have passed out.

"He…he does?" I hated the fact that my voice was shaking, showing just how close I was to breaking right then.

Suddenly, she blinked and closed her eyes for a moment. She groaned as if she had a headache, and then reopened her eyes which were back to their normal chocolaty brown color. "Rose…I must go so I can start my research. Or it might be too late." Then, she stood up and dashed out the door in a rush.

**Ahh, yes, another cliffy. You love them but hate them, I know :)**

**Don't forget to REVIEW! Otherwise, no 4th chapter -gasp- **

**Love you guys! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, here it is! The newest chapter! Woo!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it. Richelle does.**

**Chapter Four **

I watched the old woman rush hurriedly from the house as if our lives were a ticking time bomb. And in a way they were. Dimitri's especially. The thought of it brought a sigh to my lips and an ache to my chest. I couldn't imagine how lost Dimitri must have been feeling, no one to turn to, no where to feel safe.

Elena came back into the kitchen after Dimitri's grandmother left and took in my expression. "Something that she said is bothering you, isn't it dear?"

Oh, just the part about Dimitri missing me and wanting either me or my blood. No biggie. But, of course, I couldn't say that aloud, and especially not to his mother. I mean, I didn't want to give her a heart attack!

"Yeah… she got a… a reading. Or a vision or something. Of Dimitri."

Elena looked at me, surprise and hope overtaking her expression. "She did?" she said, sounding nearly breathless with wonder.

I nodded. "She said that… he still thinks of me… but I don't know if its me, or my blood he thinks of." I refastened Dimitri's necklace around my throat.

Elena's expression turned troubled. "Rose… you do know that even if there is a way to save Dimka from this… state of being, there's a large chance that he might not be the same, don't you?"

Sighing, I nodded my head. "Yes, I know that, but there's a chance he could be okay, isn't he? I mean he's one of the best guardians out there for his age! He can beat this!"

My words of hope and my expression of desperation seemed to tear her heart apart, as tears welled in her dark eyes and she ran a hand through her dark brown hair. "I hope so," she said simply.

That night, Elena offered to let me stay there if I wanted, and I graciously accepted. After all, where else was I going to go? I was in Russia, far, far away from home or anyone I was familiar with. But Elena made me feel right at home. Her cooking at dinner was amazing, better than any of the food back at the Academy, I had to admit, and for some reason it just… reminded me of Dimitri. I don't know how or why, but it just did. It brought both hope, happiness, and sadness to me, but I put on a happy face for Elena.

When morning finally rolled around, I got up and dressed, brushed my teeth and my hair before walking downstairs where I could hear Elena in the kitchen cooking a delicious smelling breakfast that made my empty stomach grumble with desire.

As I walked into the kitchen, there was a knock at the door. "Could you get that, Rose?" Elena asked me from where she stood in front of the stove.

"Sure," I said as I walked back out of the kitchen and down the hallway to where the front door was. I unlocked it and opened it. There stood a girl who looked a few years older than me, and looked as if she could be Dimitri's fraternal twin.

"Are you…?" I began, but the girl promptly cut me off.

"Dimtri's sister? Yes," she said, her words thick with her Russian accent. Her dark eyes scanned me.

"Oh, um, I'm--"

"Rose Hathaway. The girl from the pictures…" she said, once again cutting me off by my previous statement.

I felt my brow furrow with confusion. "Pictures?" I asked her. "What pictures?"

"The ones Dimka has. Oh, our whole family knows about Rose, his star pupil," she looked at me with hard eyes until finally a smile broke on her lips. "It's nice to meet you, Rose."

I felt relief flood my chest. So she didn't hate me like she'd acted not even ten seconds ago. Guess I'm a likable person.

"Nice to meet you too…?"

"Tatyanna," she responded promptly as she stepped into the house and shut the door behind her, locking it. "You can never be too safe," she said as she caught me looking at the lock.

"Yeah, definitely. Your mom's in the kitchen," I told her and we both made our way to the kitchen. My mind, however, was still reeling. _What_ pictures? What pictures could Dimitri possibly have of me? Was he sneaking around taking pictures of me or something? But that's definitely not as creepy if it sounds…it's actually kind of hot if you think about it. A hot, Russian twenty-four year old who took my virginity in an old guardian's shack. Yeah, that was hot.

"Hello, mama," Tatyanna said to Elena as she entered the kitchen. "I was beginning to wonder when we would be meeting the famous Rose, weren't you?"

Famous huh?

Elena smiled, "Yes, I was." She put some contents from a frying pan onto three plates. "Breakfast is ready. Your sister isn't with you?"

Tatyanna shook her head, getting some milk out of the refrigerator to pour into glasses. "Vivienne is working today," she said. Then, she looked at me, "Sharing an apartment with my sister is torture. Never do it."

"I'll make a note of it," I told her with quite an amused smile on my lips.

"So, Rose, you never told me what you're doing here," Tatyanna said as we all got seated around the table.

"Well…" I began, not sure of how to continue, but Elena did it for me.

"She is here for Dimitri. She's trying to find him. To either find a cure for this or to…" she found that she couldn't finish her sentence after all. There was an awkward silence filling the room for several long moments as we all ate slowly, keeping our eyes on our food. Which was incredible.

"Do you know where he is?" Tatyanna asked me.

"Your grandmother said that he's in Germany," I told her. "She said she has to do 'research' so I'm waiting for her to finish up with that. If she can't do it then…I'll have to go to him," I said simply, not liking the thoughts that coursed through my mind with that sentence.

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**You know what to do ;)**

**Review if you want another chapter. You've done great so far, and have given me so much inspiration to write this chapter all in one go, so review, review, review! **


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm SO sorry that I haven't posted in, like, forever. College preperations have been building up on me and I finally got everything settled and calm. So HERE IT IS! Chapter 5! This chapter is a big one and crucial, but also kind of short, so please forgive me! I'll get another one up ASAP before Tuesday. I promise. I love you guys for being patient with me and not flaming me for not posting. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

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**Chapter Five**

The next two days went by treacherously slowly. Tatyanna called her grandmother five times a day to see how her research was going, but so far no luck. But then, on the afternoon of the third day, we finally got some information that would hopefully putting me on the track of finding Dimitri, and killing him before I had time to change my mind.

The old woman came into the house, looking tired and more frail than before, but she still had that fire in her eyes like Dimitri had. Now I knew where he got it from. "I finally found exactly where he is and his intentions for his next move!"

We all came rushing over to her, Elena looked worried and sad, Tatyanna looking anxious, and me looking a whole lot of things. I felt excited, anxious, nervous, nauseous, scared…did I mention nauseous?

"He is still in Berlin but he is heading for Moscow. Actually, he ought to be there by now – I had this vision last night while I was sleeping. Oh, he is planning terrible things…terrible things Rose. He knows you are here," she said, grabbing me by the arms, her eyes wide. "He plans to kill – to turn you into Strigoi."

Elena let out a gasp, her hand flying up to her mouth. Tatyanna was silent, her brow furrowed.

"But…Dimka wouldn't hurt Rose of all people," Tatyanna said, trying to sound confident.

A heavy silence filled the room as the old woman released the grip she had on my arms. "We must gather those in the village who can fight and – "

"No," I said instantly. "No. I swore _I_ would kill him. I know I sound selfish but…" I swallowed down the lump in my throat. "I have to do this. Please."

The old woman held my gaze for several moments and the nodded. "Yes, Rose. We will not gather anyone."

"How long until he arrives here do you think? Just estimate," I said, biting my lip.

"Maybe a day, maybe less," she said, looking troubled. "Oh I never knew such a fate would befall poor Dimka…" she looked like she wanted to cry. "I never thought I would lose a grandchild so soon."

Now _that_ made me feel guilty.

"I'm sorry," I choked out. "I'm sorry…" I walked out the door and onto the porch.

Tatyanna came out moments later while I saw Elena hug her mother through the window. "Rose…she didn't mean it like that," the girl said to me, putting a hand on my shoulder.

Tears suddenly started streaming down my cheeks. "I don't want to do this, Yanna." She had insisted on the day we met that I call her Yanna. "I don't know if I can."

"But you have to," said Tatyanna, giving me a hug. "Dimka would want you to. It's the right thing to do – for his sake."  
We were both quiet for several moments, just taking in her words until she asked me quietly, "You love Dimka. Right?"

I nodded my head, swiping a hand across my eyes.

"And you would do anything for him?"

Another nod.

"Then do this if you really mean it. He would do the same for you," Tatyanna said gently. "Rose you are going to make an extraordinary guardian," she added before she straightened up and walked back inside the house, leaving me to my troubled and confused thoughts.

* * *

That night I was sitting in Dimitri's old room that he used to occupy here, my fingers touching the necklace around my neck, thinking. I was thinking about how far Dimitri and I had come in less than a year…I was thinking about how much he meant to me…that night in the cabin…how much I wanted him to be saved.

Tatyanna appeared in the doorway and smiled softly. "My grandmother wants to talk to you. She says it concerns Dimitri being saved...by your friend Lissa."

I was about to nod my head as I stood up, but I was hit by a strong wave of nausea. "Oh _shit_," I swore, trying not to double over and retch. I looked at Tatyanna. "Get your mother and get as far upstairs as you can. Douse the room in holy water, hold Bibles, do whatever you can," I told her as I ran out the bedroom door and down the stairs, pulling the silver stake from the waistband of my jeans. I could hear Tatyanna and Elena, frantic in the house as I ran outside. The nausea that I usually felt before a Strigoi attack was stronger than ever this time – it was him. I knew it.

I stood there, my eyes scanning the darkness that surrounded me. "Where are you," I mumbled to myself. Then, I felt something behind me and I whipped around, coming face to face with Dimitri.

"I'm right here," he said, his voice soft as he looked down at me. The dark brown eyes he used to have were replaced by crimson colored ones that made my heart stop – not in a good way. "You smell delectable," he murmured before he started leaning down towards me.

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**Okay, so there it is! The big-but-short chapter! So what do you think? Hmm? Don't you love a cliffy? So you remember what you have to do - REVIEW! No reviews, no chapter 6. :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay, I was going to wait longer to put this chapter up, so there would be more reviews for the last one....but I couldn't wait any longer!! I'm too excited to see your reactions to this chapter, so you must review, review, review****!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

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** Chapter Six**

I jumped back in surprise, holding the stake up. "Dimitri…" I said, choking on my words. "I swear to God, I'll—"

"You'll what?" Dimitri demanded, advancing on me, but this time I held my ground defiantly. This was just like all those training exercises, I told myself. Just like them. This was like the field experiment when he attacked me…and I had won against him then, and I would win this time. This was for him. Solely for him.

"I have to do this…" I whispered, looking at him. He wasn't Dimitri, I told myself. It wasn't him. He wouldn't want to stay like this. "I have to kill you…"

Dimitri stepped back as if I had slapped him. "No," he said, his voice hard and final. "No you won't. I'll kill you, Roza. I'll turn you into what I am before you can get that stake anywhere near me. I'll drink your blood. Your…_delicious_ blood…"

I could feel my mouth go dry and I gripped the stake harder in my hand. Suddenly, Dimitri flew at me and knocked it out of my hand. He'd used his words as a diversion, but I was beginning to believe that he meant those words. He was looking at me like I was something to eat. Something incredibly exquisite to eat.

And trust me – being eaten was the _last_ thing I wanted!

I gasped as I looked at him, up on me like he was about to beat the hell out of me. I scrambled for the stake but he kicked it away and hit me across the face, hard, making me fly to the ground. He crouched over me, absolutely seething. "Now, we can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way, Roza. Which will it be?"

I didn't realize until now that I was sobbing. "I thought you loved me!" I screamed at him, raising my fists, hitting him. "You said you would protect me! Not kill me!"

"That was before I was turned!" He hissed at me, pinning my arms down. "Do you know what will happen to me if I do not kill you? Do you? I will be decapitated! The others will kill me, Roza!" His voice was harsh, making me flinch beneath him.

Under other circumstances, if he was not about to kill me, and if he had not been turned into a Strigoi, this would have been pretty sexy, being pinned down by him.

But there was _nothing_ sexy about this, and he was about to kill me, and he was a Strigoi.

Mason had been right. I had hoped that Dimitri could be saved…but no Strigoi had ever been saved.

Dimitri turned my head to the side, me struggling beneath him, trying to push him off of me, and he lowered his mouth to my neck. He kissed my neck before I felt his fangs scrape against my skin…before I felt them sink into my flesh. I screamed out, knowing I was as good as dead – or a Strigoi.

Dimitri drank deeply from me as I sobbed relentlessly, screaming, "No!"

Dimitri pulled his head back and slit a place on his arm with his super-sharp nails and pushed it to my mouth. "Drink!" he demanded.

I'd had my mouth open, and I felt the tiny droplets of blood from his arm sliding into my mouth and down my throat. Tears were still streaking down my cheeks as I tried to move my head away.

I didn't even hear the door to the house swing open as I sobbed, more blood falling into my mouth. I was being turned, I knew. The process was done.

I was swimming in and out of consciousness as Dimitri was wrenched off of me. I saw Tatyanna grab the stake.

"No!" I screamed at her, but it was too late. I saw her bring the stake down and drive it into Dimitri's heart. I screamed and sobbed relentlessly.

Tatyanna pulled the stake out of Dimitri and then another person stood over me.

"Rose!" The other person said, sounding frantic. Then there were the voices of two guys…but I couldn't make out who they were, because I'd blacked out all of a sudden.

* * *

When I woke up, I groaned in pain. My body hurt a little and I had a splitting headache. I gasped suddenly as thoughts of before came flooding into my mind and I sat up swiftly, noting the white walls around me and the sterile surfaces. I was in a hospital, from what I could gather.

"Rose!" I relieved voice came from my side and I glanced to my right. It was Lissa, blond and elegant as ever, but she looked exhausted and weary. "Are you okay? I thought you were…" she trailed off.

"Strigoi?" I asked, my voice hoarse. "I'm…I should be. He….he drank from me. Dimitri drank from me. And he made me drink from him…" Dimitri. What happened to him? Was he dead?

Lissa bit her lip. "You were turning paler and paler…you were starting to turn, I think. But…we saved you…." She looked like she was about to cry.

"Who saved me?" I asked her confusedly, wishing the lights weren't so bright in the room which only made my headache worse. "What about Dimitri?"

Lissa looked across the room at the door as someone walked inside. It was Adrien. "Ah, there you are little dhampir."

I stared. "Where am I?" I demanded.

"You, Rose, are at the hospital wing of the Ivashkov castle," Adrien said with a smirk.

"But what am I _doing_ here?" I asked him irritably.

"Now, now," Adrien tsked. "Is that any way to treat someone who helped save your life?"

What was going on? How did they save me? Surely Lissa didn't bring me back to life again…but she had to of.

"Someone tell me what the hell is going on!" I demanded, looking between them, anger in my expression. "What happened to Dimitri?"

Lissa put her hand on my arm and sent calming thoughts to me. I relaxed instantly, too exhausted to fight back.

"Rose…we went to Russia to find you and bring you back. Adrien has been tapping into your dreams, but he…he erases your memory of it when he's finished. He uses some kind of…hypnosis on you or something equally powerful. It's the only thing we know how to describe it as. Well, we found your location and then we got on a plane to come find you…but we only got there when we found Dimitri's sister driving the stake in Dimitri's heart…but we also saw what he was doing to you first. He was changing you into one of them…." Lissa broke off, crying, so Adrien took over.

"We thought we were too late," he said, shaking his head. "But we were able to reverse the effects. We were able to turn you back into a dhampir, but you'll have a bit stronger strength since you were nearly completely changed."

"And Dimitri?" I asked for what seemed to be the twentieth time.

Adrien sighed. "See for yourself," he said and pushed a wheelchair over. I was about to protest, but he said that I was too weak right now and would collapse. So, I got helped up by Lissa and I got into the wheelchair, letting Adrien push me down the hallway and to another room where many machines were hooked to someone…and that someone was Dimitri. He was in a room to himself, his eyes closed, chest rising and falling.

"How long has he been like this?" I asked, barely noticing that I was crying. "What's wrong with him?"

"It's been five days since we found you guys," Lissa told me gently.

"Will he be okay?" I asked, wiping my eyes. "He won't…he won't die, will he?"

Lissa hesitated and she and Adrien exchanged looks.

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**Okay so there it is!! A very critical chapter in the story! Please REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW if you want more!!!**

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	7. Chapter 7

**Okay, so here's chapter 7!! I really hope you like it. I know you guys love-but-hate the cliffies, and I'm SORRY but this one has a cliffy too! :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

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** Chapter Seven**

"Well?" I demanded. "He won't die, right?"

I hated it when people just looked at each other instead of answering a life-altering question that you have. One that could make you happier than you thought you could ever be, or one that could make you so depressed that all you want to do is curl up into a little ball on your bed and die.

"We don't know what the effects on him will be," Lissa said after a long pause.

"What do you mean? I'm okay. So why isn't he?" I demanded, feeling hot tears of frustration brim in my eyes.

"He's been a Strigoi longer," Adrian said as he put his hands in his pants pockets. "So, therefore, it may take longer for him to recover. Just because you're superwoman doesn't mean everyone's that good."

I rolled my eyes at Adrian's 'superwoman' comment but I let it go and looked back at Dimitri.

"Rose," I heard someone breathe from the doorway and I turned to see my mother standing there, looking stricken.

My brow furrowed. The last time I'd seen her was the day after the memorial ceremony. Of course, that was back when I was like the walking dead and wouldn't speak to anyone. "What are you doing here?" I asked her.

She walked inside the room. "Vasalisa got in touch with me and told me what happened…."

I gave a glare to Lissa, but it was hard to be mad at her after she'd saved my life. "But you're supposed to be in Europe."

My mother shrugged her shoulders, keeping her posture perfect all the while. "My partner is taking over…" She walked further into the room. "How are you feeling? Did Guardian Belikov really… did he really bite you?"

I nodded my head, turning my head from her to Dimitri. "Yeah…yeah he did." My voice was soft and there was no anger in my eyes. "He said he had to kill me…or else the others would kill him…"

"Rose…you were Guardian Belikov's student. You know he would put you before himself every time. Why on earth would he say something like that?" My mother said.

It was Adrian who answered. "Sometimes Strigoi are in their previous state of mind, and sometimes they go into bloodlust. When they go into bloodlust, nothing can keep them in control. So even though Belikov wouldn't have normally hurt you, and would have sacrificed himself…well, he's Strigoi so the alternative is his nature. Or was. We'll have to see if he recovers first. His sister can really stake Strigoi…"

We all fell silent at this until Lissa spoke up, "Rose…how about we all give you a few minutes alone?"

I nodded my head, my eyes staying on Dimitri.

I heard her, Adrian, and my mother walk out of the door, shutting it behind them. I wheeled the chair over to Dimitri, afraid I really _would_ collapse since he was involved. He reached out and took his ice cold hand in mine. I watched his face, how his dark hair was longer than it was, and how his complexion was much paler than his usual tan one. I moved my hand and placed it on his chest – I could feel his heart beating. "Dimitri…" I whispered, my voice threatening to break. "Dimitri…you have to wake up." Tears were beginning to make their way down my cheeks. "You have to. For me. Please…" I held onto his hand with both of mine and leaned my forehead down on his hand, trying so hard to keep it together…

I honestly couldn't bear the thought of losing him. We'd come so far together in the past year…and we were finally together. And then it was taken away from us. It was taken away so cruelly, in the worst possible way.

There was no response from Dimitri – he didn't open his eyes or groan or speak or give me any indication that he was, indeed, okay. Or that he would _be_ okay. I needed him to be okay. To keep myself sane. So I wouldn't give up.

I heard someone come to the doorway and turned my head to see Tatyanna standing there, looking pale and stricken. I knew it must have hurt, for her to know that she was the one who staked her brother. I couldn't imagine how she was feeling, and she couldn't imagine how I was feeling – we were on the same page.

"Is he…?" she asked quietly, obviously unable to find her voice on the last word.

I bit my lip slightly and shook my head. "Is he going to live? I don't know…neither Lissa nor Adrian know."

Tatyanna and just stood there, staring at her brother's face.

"You can come in here, y'know…" I said quietly from where I sat, holding Dimitri's cold hand in mine.

Tatyanna nodded her head and she walked over to a chair on the other side of his bed. "I can't believe I…."

"You did what you had to do," I told her firmly. "Otherwise after he'd finished with me, who knows what he would have done."

Tatyanna gave no response or indication of my words. She just stared and her eyes were bright with unshed tears. "I should go check on my mother," she said and leaned down to kiss Dimitri's forehead. "I'm sorry Dimka," she said before walking out of the room, and I heard a sniffle before the door closed.

I sighed and leaned my forehead down on my hand that gripped Dimitri's. My dark hair fell around my shoulders, shielding my face to anyone who may have been lingering in the hallway. No one knew about Dimitri and I…except Adrian, and Tatyanna and her grandmother, I was sure. I wasn't entirely sure of her mother. And my mother would have a heart attack if she found out, most likely. Of course, I was surprised that it had taken Lissa so long to figure things out as well.

That is, if Dimitri still wanted me after he woke up. The thought struck me suddenly and fear pierced my heart. After being a Strigoi people changed…but would Dimitri be the same?

Sighing, I heard my stomach growl and I leaned up and kissed his cheek. "I'll be back," I promised quietly and let go of his hand, wheeling myself out of the room to go find Lissa so I could get some food in me. After going through what I went through, I was absolutely starving.

I wheeled myself down the hall and Christian and I came face to face. He smirked.

"Well look at what the cat dragged in," he said in that usual easy manner he wielded so well.

I looked up at Christian coolly. "I could say the same for you," I replied casually.

Christian's lips curved into a grin. "Good to have you back, Rose," he said and went behind me, starting to push my chair for me. "Where to?"

"Well I'm starving…" I hinted, not at all subtle.

Christian chuckled, "Then to the dining hall it is," he said, starting to wheel me in the direction.

Moments later, we were in the dining hall. I saw Lissa there with Adrian and Eddie grouped around her, all three of them talking together like old times.

Christian wheeled me over to them before he sat down beside Lissa, pushing a plate of food down to me.

"Thanks," I said before I started to scarf my food down, nearly groaning with delight at how good it was. Russian food was good, but nothing compared to this.

I could tell that Adrian was still wanting his chance with me by the way he looked at me, and I couldn't stand it. I couldn't give him his chance…the only man I could give my heart to was Dimitri. He already had it. But Adrian was…just a friend. And that was all we would ever be.

So, I did my best to avoid his gaze as I ate, sometimes popping into the conversation with my own remarks, but things were pretty jumbled with five of us talking at once.

"Rose," I heard my mother say from the doorway of the dining hall.

I turned around to look at her. Her expression was unreadable, which wasn't a good sign.

"We need to talk. Now," my mother said, and I could see Elena behind her, looking apologetic at me as I wheeled myself towards my mother.

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**There's chapter 7! I really hope you guys liked it. The next chapter should be up soon :)  
REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!  
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	8. Chapter 8

**hey everyone! I know that Blood Promise just came out and stuff, but here is the next chapter. I haven't gotten the book yet - damn store is slow on shipping it... - so that means NO SPOILERS IN YOUR REVIEWS! I want everything to be a surprise!! I'm anxious to see if Dimitri can be saved, so don't be spoiling it with 'it's a shame Dimitri had to die' or something like that. _DO NOT INCLUDE SPOILERS IN YOUR REVIEWS_! Please!**

**So, here's the next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: Don't Own It.**

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**Chapter Eight**

I came to a stop in front of my mother, who looked like she did before we argued. The calm before the storm, as I like to call it. "Yeah?" I said, looking up at her from where I sat in my wheelchair. I felt like doing a wheelie in it just to distract me from what was most likely going to happen.

"Elena told me something a moment ago," my mother said, her jaw tight and her arms crossed tightly over her chest. Even though she was only five feet tall, it felt as if she were seven feet tall right then. It felt like I was five, getting scolded for throwing a tantrum.

"Really?" I said, my tone evasive. "Was it interesting?"

"_Interesting?_" My mom repeated, venom in her words. "Interesting is what you say when someone brings up the French Revolution, _not_ when your daughter is secretly seeing a twenty-five year old man!"

People in the dining hall turned their heads to look at me, even though we were at least thirty feet. My mother's words carried, however, echoing.

I felt my cheeks burn scarlet and I glared up at her. "What do you care?" I demanded. "What the hell do you care? You barely ever pay attention to me and now you act like this is any of your business? I'm eighteen. It's legal."

"You _just turned_ eighteen! He was taken before your birthday. This tells me that you were seeing each other before that!" My mom said angrily.

Elena said, finally, "Janine…perhaps we should go into another room for you two to discuss this? It seems we have an audience…" She gestured into the dining hall where people were still staring. Idiots.

My mother looked at her and gave a brief nod. "Yes. Rosemarie, follow," she said, talking to me as if I were a bad puppy or something.

I gritted my teeth and followed my mother down a hallway to where her room was apparently located. Elena kept looking at me with apology after apology in her eyes, but it wasn't her fault. I knew my mother was going to find out sooner or later, but I was hoping it would be over…say, e-mail?

My mother led the way into her room and when Elena offered to give us privacy, my mom stopped her. "No. This concerns you too, Elena. He is your son, after all." She shut the door and that left the three of us alone with our privacy. "Rose, what on earth were you thinking?" my mother demanded. "You were underage. He could have gotten fired if you two had been found out by anyone. Do you realize how risky and…utterly senseless this was?"

I gave a shrug. "The riskiness crossed my mind…but he always said we couldn't be together. Then after the Strigoi attack…he said he wanted to be." I was blinking back tears.

"It was still wrong," My mother said.

"Oh, so it was okay for you to be with my dad when you were only twenty? He was probably…what? Twenty-five, thirty?" I demanded, angry and hurt and upset.

My mother blinked. "Rose, we are not discussing that now."

I looked over at Elena. "Me and Dimitri…it doesn't bother you, does it?"

Elena looked thoughtful. "No, it doesn't. He talks about you more than anyone, and it's all good. Though he does go into how stubborn you can be sometimes, or something of that nature, but he ends up laughing about it, saying that you are the one student that shows the most heart and effort, and drive to be a great guardian."

I felt my heart swell and a smile come to my lips. Elena was also smiling but my mother was stony faced as ever.

"Did Dimitri just outright say that he and Rose were together or was it…subtle enough that you could barely catch it?" my mother asked. She was wanting to know if Dimitri hid our relationship from his mother or not, I could tell.

Elena paused. "It was subtle. Very subtle and unintentional for me to figure it out."

My mother nodded slowly. "You aren't angry about this in the slightest?"

Elena shook her head. "No. Dimka is happy. Very, very happy. And I know that there must be a light in his eyes that only Rose brings. I could hear it in his voice when he would call."

My mother sighed. "I should forbid you from seeing him…" she said.

I began to protest angrily, but she held up her hand before I could continue.

"No, Rose, listen to me. I should forbid you from seeing him…but it wouldn't do any good. You're eighteen and you would go off and do what you want," she said. "I suppose if I don't say I'm alright with it, then this will end badly…I will approve, but first, when Dimitri wakes up and gets settled and visits with everyone…I need to talk with him. Understand?"

I nodded my head, feeling relief washing over me. "Understood," I said.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. My mother opened it and there stood Lissa, smiling like crazy. "Rose, Dimitri's awake!"

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**I know it's a little short. Forgive me? REVIEW!!!**

**And REMEMBER! No spoilers. **


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